I. A synagogue was not formed anywhere but where there were ten learned men professedly
students of the law. 1. Let that of the Talmud, be observed. "What is a great
city? That in which were ten men of leisure. If there be less than this number, behold, it
is a village." 2. Observe that of Maimonides; "Wheresoever there be ten of
Israel, there a house must needs be built, to which they may resort to prayers in the time
of prayer, and this house is called a synagogue." Not that any ten of Israel made a
synagogue; but wheresoever were ten learned men, and studious of the law, these were
called Batlanin, men of leisure; "who were not to be esteemed for lazy and
idle persons, but such who," not being encumbered with worldly things, "were
at leisure only to take care of the affairs of the synagogues, and to give themselves
to the study of the law."

The reason of the number of ten, though lean and empty enough, is given in the Talmud:
and it is this; A congregation consists of ten: which they prove hence, because it
is said, "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, &c. (Num
14:27). Take away Joshua and Caleb, and there remain only ten"; namely, of the spies
of the land.

II. Of these ten men:

1. Three bear the magistracy, and were called The bench of three: whose office
it was to decide the differences arising between the members of the synagogue, and to take
care about other matters of the synagogue. These judged concerning money-matters, thefts,
losses, restitutions, ravishing a virgin, of a man enticing a virgin, of the admission of
proselytes, laying on of hands, and divers other things, of which see the tract
Sanhedrim. These were properly, and with good reason, called rulers of the synagogue,
because on them laid the chief care of things, and the chief power.

2. Besides these there was 'the public minister of the synagogue,' who prayed publicly,
and took care about the reading of the law, and sometimes preached, if there were not some
other to discharge this office. This person was called the angel of the church, and
the Chazan or bishop of the congregation. The Aruch gives the reason of the
name: "The Chazan (saith he) is the angel of the church (or the
public minister), and the Targum renders...one that oversees; for it is incumbent
on him to oversee how the reader reads, and whom he may call out to read in the
law." The public minister of the synagogue himself read not the law publicly; but,
every sabbath, he called out seven of the synagogue (on other days, fewer) whom he judged
fit to read. He stood by him that read, with great care observing that he read nothing
either falsely or improperly; and calling him back and correcting him if he had failed in
any thing. And hence he was called..overseer. Certainly the signification of the
word bishop, and angel of the church, had been determined with less noise,
if recourse had been made to the proper fountains, and men had not vainly disputed about
the signification of words, taken I know not whence. The service and worship of the Temple
being abolished, as being ceremonial, God transplanted the worship and public adoration of
God used in the synagogues, which was moral, into the Christian church; to wit, the public
ministry, public prayers, reading God's word, and preaching, &c. Hence the names of
the ministers of the Gospel were the very same, the angel of the church, and the
bishop; which belonged to the ministers in the synagogues.

3. There were also three deacons, or almoners, on whom was the care of the poor; and
these were called Parnasin, or Pastors. And these seven perhaps were reputed
the seven good men of the city; of whom there is frequent remembrance in the
Talmudists...

4. We may reckon the eighth man of these ten to be the...the interpreter in the
synagogue; who, being skilled in the tongues, and standing by him that read in the law,
rendered in the mother-tongue, verse by verse, those things that were read out of the
Hebrew text. The duty of this interpreter, and the rules of his duty, you may read at
large in the Talmud...

5. We do not readily know whom to name for the ninth and tenth of this last three. Let
us suppose them to be the master of the divinity-school, and his interpreter:
of whom we shall have a fuller occasion of inquiry. And thus much concerning the head of
the synagogue, that learned Decemivirate, which was also the representative body of the
synagogue...

VI. When they were met together in the synagogue on the sabbath-day (for this being
observed, there is no need to speak any thing of the other days), the service being begun,
the minister of the church calls out seven, whomsoever he pleases to call out, to read the
law in their order. First, a priest, then a Levite, if they were present; and after these
five Israelites. Hence it is, O young student in Hebrew learning, that in some editions of
the Hebrew Bible you see marked in the margin of the Pentateuch, 1. The priest. 2. The
Levite. 3. The third. 4. The fourth. 5. The fifth. 6. The
sixth. 7. The seventh:--denoting by these words the order of the readers, and
measuring out hereby the portion read by each one. Thus, I suppose, Christ was called out
by the angel of the church of Nazareth, Luke 4:16, and reading according to the
custom as a member of that synagogue.

There is no need to mention that prayers were made publicly by the angel of the
church for the whole congregation, and that the congregation answered Amen to
every prayer: and it would be too much particularly to enumerate what those prayers were,
and to recite them. It is known enough to all that prayers, and reading of the law and the
prophets, was the chief business in the synagogue, and that both were under the care of the
angel of the synagogue...

Service being done in the synagogue, they went to dinner. And after dinner to the
school, or the church, or a lecture of divinity; call it by what name
you will. It is called also not seldom by the Talmudists and The synagogue. In this
sense, it may be, is the upper synagogue to be taken, mentioned in the Talmud; if
it be not to be taken of the Sanhedrim. In this place a doctor read to his auditors some
traditional matter, and expounded it. In the Beth Midrash they taught traditions, and
their exposition.

There are three things to be taken notice of concerning the rites used in this place.

I. He that read to the auditors speak not out with an audible voice, but muttered it
with a small whisper in somebody's ear; and he pronounced it aloud to all the people. So
that here the doctor had his interpreter in this sense, as well as the reader of the law
his in the synagogue. "Rabh went to the place of R. Shilla, and there was no
interpreter to stand by R. Shilla; Rabh therefore stood by him." Where the Gloss
hath these words, "He had no speaker, that is, he had no interpreter
present, who stood before the doctor when he was reading the lecture. And the doctor
whispered him in the ear in Hebrew, and he rendered it in the mother-tongue to the
people." Hither that of our Saviour hath respect, Matthew 10:27; "What ye hear
in the ear, that preach ye upon the house-tops." Consult the same place...

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